Reaper Mare

Luckily for her, Applejack found both Princesses in the throne room when she arrived. Unfortunately, the place was packed with petitioners. Not content to keep at the back of the room, she marched forward, not caring who she passed through. Upon seeing her, Celestia held up a hoof, commanding silence from the gathering.

“A rather urgent emergency has come to our attention,” she proclaimed. “If you would all please bring your concerns to my ministers, they will attend to them promptly.”

With those words, she stood and left. Luna gave a subtle jerk of her head, indicating that Applejack should follow. The trio trotted through the castle to Celestia's private quarters. Once all were comfortable, Applejack began.

“What's this Ah hear about me needin' to select a new Element of Honesty?”

Celestia and Luna shared a look. “Well, we figured it would be fairly obvious. Despite the fact that you still linger, you're no longer-”

“That ain't what Ah have a problem with,” Applejack interrupted. “What Ah want to know is how Ah'm supposed to go about doin' that? Ah mean, do Ah hold interviews or put up flyers or what?”

Celestia couldn't help but giggle at the mental images those words gave her. “Not at all. The Element Bearers are able to recognize themselves. You should be able to sense those qualities in another pony.”

“Sense those qualities? How?”

“That is a question I've been trying to answer for many centuries,” Celestia confessed. “As the former Element of Magic, I recognized the same qualities in Twilight the day I met her.”

“Alright, let's say that Ah find this pony. What happens then? How do Ah convince them that they are an Element Bearer?”

“They have to recognize those same qualities in themselves,” Luna said. “It's rather like getting one's cutie mark, I suppose.”

Applejack removed her hat and massaged her scalp with a hoof. “Ah don't know. That's a tall order. Are ya sure there ain't somepony else that can do it?”

“Unfortunately, you would be the best candidate. We're confident that you can complete this task.”

“Ah'm sure ya'll are,” Applejack groused.

Celestia leaned in and a look of complete seriousness marred her usually mirthful continence. “We understand that you are quite busy, Applejack, but you must complete this task with all due haste. I fear the Elements will soon be needed.”

This gave the Reaper pause. It was not a warning given lightly. “What makes ya say that?”

Celestia sighed and stared off into the distance. “I can't exactly place my hoof on it, but whenever Equestria is threatened, I know it. This is why I was able to send Twilight to Ponyville in time for Nightmare Moon's arrival.”

“Ah thought she came to organize the Celebration.”

“It's true that was the guise I sent her under. I had to deceive my student because, if I told her the true reason, a thousand of my guard wouldn't be able to drag her from that library. The Elements would never have been discovered and manifested. We would all be living in Eternal Night, under the tyranny of that beast.”

Noticing how Luna had wilted, Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Don't worry, Luna. I don't blame you for what occurred. You were taken from me by something otherworldly. You, Luna, would never have committed those atrocities.”

“It's not that, sister,” Luna replied. “I cannot escape this sense of dread that has accompanied me these past few days.” She turned to Applejack. “Please, you must do everything in your power to find a new Element Bearer, before we are all consumed.”

Applejack frowed. What was so terrible that it could frighten an Alicorn? The Reaper stood, resolve steeling her spine. “Don't worry. Ah'll have another pony fit to fight before too long.”

APPLEJACK! COME IMMEDIATELY!

The shout hurt so much it nearly floored her. It sounded like Death had bellowed in her ear, but the Pale Pony was nowhere nearby. She shook her head to clear her vision. “Ah'm sorry,” she told the princesses. “Ah gotta go. The big pony wants somethin'. Ah promise Ah'll find a new Bearer for ya.”

She called her scythe and opened a rift, stepping from the mortal plain to the Realm of Death. She hurried to the door and trotted through the main room into Death's office, instinctively knowing where her master was.

“Sorry, boss, Ah had some things to take care of back on the mortal plain,” she rattled off as she entered and turned to close the door and hang her hat. “Some stuff has come up that Ah gotta take care of. If this is about another lesson, Ah gotta take a rain...” Her words trailed off as she got a good look at the four ponies occupying the space. Four pairs of eyes, all identical pools of ink, stared back at her. Death patted the floor next to him.

JOIN US, APPLEJACK.

Applejack approached cautiously, never taking her eyes off of the three new ponies. One was a massive crimson monster, far larger than Macintosh. His flesh was covered in scars of every sort and the armor he wore was dented in several places. From his armored saddle hung the heads of a Tauren and a Griffon.

The second pony was a dark blue, nearly black, and bone thin. She could count the knobs of his spine and, given a pair of sticks, she could play a tune on his ribs. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes sunken. The poor devil looked like he had never known the joy of a decent meal.

The third pony was revolting. His pale green skin was mostly concealed in filthy bandages. What was exposed was covered in oozing sores. Patches of his coat had fallen out and the bare spots were black and rotting. He grinned at her, all smiles and few teeth. She took a seat next to Death.

APPLEJACK, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MY BROTHERS: WAR, FAMINE AND PESTILENCE. BROTHERS, THIS IS MY APPRENTICE. SHE IS PRIVVY TO ALL SHARED HERE.

The others nodded their approval.

BROTHERS, IT HAS BEEN MANY CENTURIES SINCE WE WERE LAST TOGETHER, Death declared.

NOT SINCE THE DAYS OF THE THREE TRIBES. AH, I MISS THOSE TIMES. SO MUCH STRIFE AND DESTRUCTION, MORE THAN ENOUGH TO KEEP US ALL BUSY. NOW, WITH ALL OF THIS PEACE, THERE IS NEARLY NOTHING TO DO. MY TROPHIES GROW LONELY, War lamented.

AND THE DISEASES. Pestilence turned to Applejack. TRULY HORRIBLE ILLNESSES, THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU'VE NEVER SEEN. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A PONY VOMIT OUT HIS OWN INTESTINES?

She felt like today would be that day.

BROTHERS, LET US KEEP TO BUSINESS, IF WE MAY. WAR HAS BROUGHT SOME INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED AND WE MUST DECIDE HOW THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE HANDLED.

War cleared its throat. THE AUDITOR APPROACHES.

She carefully watched the expressions of the beings around her, trying to guage their thoughts. However, nothing in their faces betrayed their minds. She'd hate to be in a poker game with this group.

THE AUDITOR HASN'T BEEN SEEN IN NEARLY A THOUSAND YEARS.

“Who, or what, is the Auditor?”

Death turned to her. THE AUDITOR IS A BEING OF INCREDIBLE POWER. IT IS ORDER AND DESPISES ALL THAT IS CHAOS.

“So it's the opposite of Discord,” she concluded. “But, Discord was evil, spread chaos wherever it went. Isn't this Auditor a good thing, then?”

IF ONLY. THE AUDITOR LIKES ONLY ORDER. BARREN BALLS OF ROCK CIRCLING SUNS IN NEAT ORBITS. IT WILL ELIMINATE ANY CHAOS IT FINDS AND IT CONSIDERS ALL THINGS CHAOS.

“So it poses a threat to all life?” She nodded, “Well, I guess you'll finally get that vacation you've wanted.”

Death simply stared at her. “YOU DO NOT COMPREHEND. INDEED, IT POSES A THREAT TO ALL LIFE. THOSE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE, THOSE THAT ARE, AND THOSE THAT WILL COME STILL. WITHOUT LIFE, THERE IS NO PURPOSE FOR WAR, FAMINE, PESTILENCE, AND DEATH. WITHOUT LIFE, WE WILL CEASE TO EXIST. It leaned close. YOU WILL CEASE TO EXIST.

She took a few breaths to steady herself. “Alright. How do we handle this?”

THAT HAS YET TO BE DECIDED.

I SAY WE STRIKE BACK. WHAT ARE WE IF NOT THE GREATEST FOUR BEINGS IN THE UNIVERSE, War urged.

NOTHING COMPARED TO THE AUDITOR, Death responded.

“Maybe the Elements of Harmony could be enough,” Applejack offered.

PERHAPS, Death agreed. BUT NOT WITHOUT EACH BEARER. WITHOUT HONESTY, THE ELEMENTS ARE USELESS. I KNOW CELESTIA HAS TASKED YOU WITH FINDING A SUITABLE BEARER. HOWEVER, I QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT YOU'D BE ABLE TO FIND ONE IN TIME.

“Maybe the Princesses themselves would be enough.”

CELESTIA COULDN'T STAND AGAINST THE QUEEN OF THE CHANGELINGS. WHAT THREAT DOES SHE POSE TO THE AUDITOR?

Famine, who had remained quiet, cocked his head. PERHAPS, IF WE COULD COMBINE FORCES.

TOGETHER, WE POSE A GREATER THREAT THAN ONE ALONE COULD. Pestilence offered.

Death thought this over. THIS IS OUR BEST TACTIC? ALLY WITH MORTALS?

IF YOU HAVE A BETTER ONE, BROTHER, SPEAK IT.

I DON'T LIKE IT ANY MORE THAN YOU, War said, BUT WE HAVE NOTHING BETTER.

AND HOW WILL THE MORTALS REACT?

They all turned to Applejack, knowing she had been to the Mortal Plain. “Well, nopony was able to see me, except the Princesses, but Ah was able to move things around me. Ah suppose, if we went straight to the palace, we won't stir up too much a ruckus.”

Death nodded. THEN IT IS SETTLED. GO TO THE PRINCESSES, TELL THEM TO GATHER THE REMAINING ELEMENTS, AND, ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, WE WILL MEET.

ARE ANY OTHERS EXCITED? Pestilence asked.